


is not that strange?

by quick_ly



Category: Nothing Much to Do
Genre: F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, Oh and Also, and not the "i was so inspired i wrote amazingness in a single day", but more "this happened and i guess it's postable", nerds who sometimes can handle their feelings, seriously if you have taste you should probably scroll along because this was written in a day, things that are sad and pathetic and should go away: this
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-11
Updated: 2014-09-11
Packaged: 2018-02-16 23:23:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2288399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/quick_ly/pseuds/quick_ly
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"The look on her face is one of complete and utter shock (or is it horror?), and Ben immediately feels like the biggest idiot in the world.</p><p>"Um... wow... good afternoon to you?" She's says it like it’s a question, like she's completely at a loss with what to say. He's knows the feeling." Ben has feelings about brotherhood and friendship and love and mostly Beatrice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	is not that strange?

**Author's Note:**

> Urgggg! Okay so this is a sad piece of fic, and like I do have real things in the works right now (that honestly I'll probably post in a few days, I just need to do some major editing), but diaphenia recently replied to one of my text posts basically saying "yo, you should turn your feelings into fic", and this is the pathetic result. (But also fluffy Bea and Ben admitting their feelings is one of my favorite things, and honestly any excuse to write it is my life.) So yeah, this is pretty much for her.
> 
> Titled taken from Much Ado (the act of which I'm too lazy to look up, but it's the “I do love nothing in the world so well as you- is not that strange?” line). Rated T for an abundance of cursing. No spoilers.

Ben called them his brothers because he meant it, because they had always been there for him and around, always by his side, even when he was being a fucking idiot. And maybe they weren't always the greatest people on earth but seriously who the hell is? Everyone has got flaws and problems, everyone sometimes has other shit. He never expected them to be dedicated or eternal, just there.

But the problem, he sees now, is that they weren't always really there. They were by his side when it was convenient and fun, and when it wasn't he was always just "being an idiot". And yeah, maybe sometimes he deserved it (trying to play celebrity crush with someone in a relationship is not cool, he's come to realize), but he also didn't always, and from time to time he actually deserved better and they really couldn’t give a shit. They didn't take his advice with Hero at all, like it was impossible for him not to be their goofy friend, but then they always expected him to be on with side when they needed members.

They haven't been shitty friends all the time; he's not too bitter as to believe that. But they've also rarely been stellar, to the point where what they said today just seems like some weird effect of what's happened lately.

That's how he finds himself banging on the Duke's door.

He hadn't planned on coming earlier, and him and Bea weren't going to hang out today. But he needs her - needs a person who, at the very least, he's had some sort of connection with (when he thinks about his best friends, his mind always drifts to that summer back in year ten, when they ran around causing trouble and stayed up late talking on the phone - when he didn't understand what it meant, but he wanted to spend every second with her). And maybe it's possible that he just needs her.

Whatever, that’s besides the point. All he knows is that he's knocking in their door with a force that should really be reserved for something else, thinking of the guys and what complete arses they are and how he can't even handle them thinking he'd side with them, the dicks; and when she finally opens the door, a deeply annoyed look on her face that quickly turns to something else entirely, he basically just goes on reflex.

Which is to say, he kisses her.

_(oh fuck no no no abort! this is not how this is supposed to go nope no no no)_

It's not something they've done before, and as soon as this occurs to him he pulls away, afraid that he must have invaded her personal space and also completely shocked that he's actually done it, gone for what he's literally been thinking about for weeks; years really. It's last for only a couple seconds, but it feels longer, and when Ben pulls away he gets a weird pang in the bit of his stomach, like he's leaving home.

The look on her face is one of complete and utter shock (or is it horror?), and Ben immediately feels like the biggest idiot in the world.

"Um... wow... good afternoon to you?" She's says it like it’s a question, like she's completely at a loss with what to say. He's knows the feeling.

"God, I'm so sorry, I just..." Ben starts, attempting to make sense of his feelings, because on the one hand he's wanted to kiss her for so long and he's pretty sure she feels the same way, and this is supposed to be a special moment, but then it's also tinged with the douchiness of Pedro and Claudio, and also maybe she didn't want it, and maybe he just overstepped big time and _ughhhhh_ , he just really wants to kiss her again. "I hate Pedro and Claudio." He says this more to himself.

"I’d say that’s a pretty common feeling at the moment." Bea's looking at him in a way that isn't entirely mad, just a little confused, and maybe intrigued.

Ben realizes he's got to explain himself, which be a lot easier if he understood any of this. "My mom let them into my room today, and they just... God, they're such complete dicks, I can't even be in the same room as them. They didn't watch my last video, which really shouldn't surprise anyone, since it's not like they care enough about me to actually watch them." He pauses for a second and remembers that Bea doesn't watch his videos either, and she's looking down like the fact makes her feel slightly terrible. He feels like a right dick. "And what they said about Leo, and Hero, and us... I can't take them. I just don't like them at all, and I couldn't stand being in the room anymore."

Bea still looks confused. "So you came here?"

"Well..." he starts, no idea how to get himself across, "I like you." It's meant to not be that grand a statement, but as soon as he words leave his mouth Ben knows it is, and that he completely means it. "I needed to get away from my room and the thought of them, and I wanted to see you. Needed, to see you, really."

"And kiss me?"

God he's a dick. "Sorry about that. I didn't plan to or anything. Really, I had absolutely no idea what I was going to do when you opened up. It was really just... reflex."

And then she gives him this goofy smile, that's somehow the most assuring thing he's ever seen, and Ben suddenly feels like he could walk on water - like the shit that's happened and the way Pedro and Claudio are acting doesn't matter. Because Beatrice likes him maybe just a little bit.

"You don't have to apologize for kissing me," she says, and there's so much fucking warmth in her voice he can't handle it. "I mean, I was kind of hoping it would happen soon."

"Really?"

Bea nods her head, and gosh, he feels like such a damn sappy teenager, but it all makes sense now; falling in love and relationships and just... being with another person. It's not stupid and dumb, he reckons. It's amazing.

"I'm not sure if there's anyone I like as much as you," Ben says, and he's taking her hand in his, and she's letting him. "That's pretty fucking weird, isn't it?"

"Not as weird as how much I like you," and she's not looking at his face, but he can see how wide her smile is, and knows how tough this must be for her, admitting that she likes him while knowing that Hero is in so much pain. That's why he hadn't kissed her yet, and why he'd been so afraid of talking about his feelings anything too soon - it somehow felt disrespectful. The problem is he just couldn't hold it in any longer.

But she is smiling something fierce, and when she does look at him, it's different; still warm, but with an added dose of something he doesn't quite know.

"You know Ben... Hero will still be at piano practice for a couple hours, and Leo is spending his day with some of his mates from school." She's turning over his hand in hers, and he wants to kiss her so badly. "You wanna hang out for a bit?"

If Ben has learned anything over the last few weeks, it's that sometimes, when a person is important enough to you, they're all you need. Beatrice is all Benedick needs, even when his friends are idiots and dicks and definitely not his friends anymore, because he can't even stand the idea of being in the same room as them. But Ben has Beatrice. So he's okay.


End file.
